10 Recent Video Games We Were Way Too Harsh On

After only six days on early access, Palworld sold eight million units and reached two million concurrent Steam players. In less than a month, the monster-taming extravaganza sold 15 million units, seemingly securing its future in the gaming industry.

But it's impossible to discuss Palworld without mentioning the Pikachu in the room. It goes without saying that Pocketpair's new IP borrowed... several elements from Pokemon. (In fact, some Pals look like they copied very specific pocket monsters from Nintendo's beloved franchise.) Since Palworld centres around capturing creature companions, it was only a matter of time before the creators were accused of plagiarism.

However, the similarities between the two are mostly surface level. Palworld's gameplay contains base-building elements, survival-crafting, gun mechanics, and using Pals for food or labour. It also utilises satirical comedy and shock humour, which isn't Pokemon's MO.

Even though Palworld can be repetitive and lacks cohesion, there are elements that are superior to Pokemon (which isn't hard, considering how badly the recent Pokemon Scarlet/Violet turned out). The non-linear structure offers more freedom, the multiplayer is accessible, and the battle system is more diverse. 

Not only is the disdain towards Palworld unjustified, Nintendo could learn a thing or two from it.